Bob Franklin

Bob Franklin was elected to the BART Board of Directors on November 2, 2004, with the support of a broad coalition of BART riders and community and labor leaders. He was re-elected in 2008 and served as the Vice President in 2010 and as the President of the Board in 2011. Director Franklin represents the 350,000 residents of BART District 3, which encompasses the cities or significant portions of Oakland, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Albany, Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga, Kensington, Piedmont, San Leandro and San Lorenzo. Franklin has focused on making BART more accessible: resurrecting the joint BART/AC Transit Board meetings and formulating and implementing policies to make it easier to access your BART station. He was the Chair of BART’s first Sustainability/Green Committee, formulated to reduce and diversify BART’s energy supply. He has represented the BART Board on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Liaison Committee. He also led the initiative to stream Board meetings on BART’s website, so that you can watch the meetings from your computer. He is the Chairperson of the multi-agency Capitol Corridor Board, which runs Amtrak intercity passenger rail service between San Jose and Sacramento. Director Franklin also has served as a board member for the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC), the Alameda County Transportation Authority (ACTA) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Director Franklin lives in Oakland’s Rockridge District and has supported efforts to build transit oriented development (TOD) projects around BART station. These projects include the MacArthur BART Transit Village, which is bringing local jobs and revitalization to the Temescal and Market corridors of North Oakland. He also has quarterbacked millions of dollars in improvements to the Rockridge BART station with the engagement of Rockridge merchants and community members, including the seismic strengthening of the station, the installation of an ADA accessible faregate, and the renovation of Rockridge Plaza in April 2012. Prior to his election to the Board, Franklin worked in the BART Controller-Treasurer’s Office, focused on special projects in the Finance department. A 1986 graduate of Stanford University, Bob has spent his entire professional career making a difference in people’s lives. His experiences as a Firefighter for the United States Forest Service and his work for the Second Harvest Food Bank – one of the largest in the nation and a respected leader in the fight to end hunger – fueled his long-standing interest in public service and community engagement. Director Franklin welcomes your questions, perspectives, or engagement. To contact him directly, please email him at bobfranklinbart@aol.com